Buffalo (AP) - After two seasons of rebuilding, the Nickels may be poised to reach that magical .500 mark this season.
Pitching
The starting five are solid if unspectacular, with Andy Lofton, Marty Mintz, Joshua Davis, Teddy Winn and Paul Person all getting the nod to fill out the rotation. The middle relief is a gigantic question mark, but any lead effectively shortens the game to eight innings with Rob Carpenter in the closer's role.
Lineup
Dale Hudson (2B) will bat leadoff, which already raises question marks about the lineup. High contact and speed, but not much else. Esteban Viriato (RF) hits out of the two-hole and looks to improve on last season's rookie campaign. Vic Castilla (1B) would be a superstar with any durability - as it is, he'll be sretched to the limits of his fatigue in his rookie season. Greg Trachsel(CF) mans the cleanup spot with a ton of power and no average. Dave Kingman would be proud. Phil Lee (LF) hits five, and needs to see a boost to his average in his sophomore season. Orlando Vidal put together a fine season last year, and we look for a repeat performance in the six-hole. The Lonnie Magee/Mike Nelson (C) platoon holds down the seven spot, while the Mateo Herrera/Tony Martinez (SS) platoon hits eighth.
The Future
The seasons to come look to bring a bevy of young talent, especially pitching, to the ML level. The top prospects, not involved in pending trades, in no particular order:
Oleg Barber (C)
Francisco Escobar (CF)
Jackie Lewis (SP)
Vic DeLeon (SP)
Vic Jerzembeck (RP)
Miguel Posada (SP)
Danny Catalanotto (2B)
Juan Gabriel (SP)
Phil Jenkins (SP)
Nick Brown (RP)
Ronald Buckley (2B)
Summary
The Nickels aren't playoff contenders yet, but they continue to make progress toward that end. If they can add to the offense over the next couple of seasons while the young starting pitching matures, they look to be a force to be reckoned with.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Welcome to Season 9
Welcome to all of our new owners and welcome back to those returning. The regular season hasn't started yet, but we're already on pace to shatter all-time RSF record for the World Chat - and that's saying something with this group of miscreants. Best of luck to everyone in the coming season. Let's make it a good one.
Friday, July 25, 2008
We Did It!
With what may have been the worst team in four years, the San Jose-Santa Clara Classmates have won the World Series.
It was a dream five years in the making. Ever since losing to the Mets in the S4 NLCS, San Jose GM marsrover has strived to make it over the hump and into the World Series. "It feels like it took so long," he said. "After the back-to-back losses in Ss 4&5 to the Mets in the NLCS, we thought we'd never get over the hump. Then the sweep to Helena in S6 and we just about lost hope. But this. This is beyound our wildest dreams!"
The Classmates looked close in S7 with the addition of rookie sensation Bart Martin and a genuine power-hitting first-baseman in Ismael Ordonez. That year the team saw franchise records in steals, home-runs, OPS, team steals, team RBIs, and team runs. But it wasn't enough. The Classmates met up with old friend Ariel Moraga in the first round. The S4 Int'l signing beat the Classmates twice in a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Atlases in the NLCS.
Then, this year, the Classmates lost two veteran presences to free agency. 33 year-old Jaime Decker was 3rd on the team's career wins list and signed with the Ballsmackers for a big payday. Prennially underrated LF'er J.D. Lockwood was 3rd on the team's career home run list and first on the career steals list. He signed a sweetheart two-year deal with the SJ Diablos.
The team seemed to fall from within as soon as the season started and was 8 games back in the division as late as June 5th. But then, something happened. The team made a crazy trade for overpriced Japanese righty Hong-Jin Miyakazi. "When mars pulled the trigger on that deal, it really showed us he was committed to winning this year," team spokesman Tanyon Walls said. "There was alot of talk about a firesale and everyone got worried. But Hong-Jin never gave up and everyday he went out there, we knew we could win.
Hong-Jin's confidence seemed to spread through the team like a wildfire. Newly acquired Al Izturis started to crush the ball (finishing with a franchise-tying 51 homeruns). Bart Martin started to run, and hit (last year's ROY turned in his second straight season with at least 30 homeruns, 50 steals, 120 runs, and 100 RBIs), the bullpen started to hold and save games. When glass-arm pitcher Einar Lee went down again with a season-ending injury, rookie David Shin came up and pitched his pants off.
"From top-to-bottom, we just started to play like a team," first baseman Ismael Ordonez said. "It was hard losing those two guys [Decker and Lockwood], and we all took it pretty hard at the start of the season. Then there was the talk of trading away Bart. We just didn't think management was committed to us. But then we started winning, and the season was going, and we said, 'hey, we're in first place here.'"
Hong-Jin took home the series trophy for Most Valuable Player. But it really could have gone to anyone. Al Izturis crushed the ball all post-season and finished with 8 total. Bart Martin more than made up for his futility in last year's postseason by turning in .348/.436/.636 with 19 RBIs and 6 steals. Ordonez found his swing, and Michael Chong cemented his reputation as a premiere postseason player.
The real suprise of the posteason though, may have been Al Timlin's sweet swing. The 25 y/o Rule 5'er only logged 100 regular season at bats and was a suprise addition to the postseason roster. But this postseason neophyte CRUSHED the ball in New York, hitting .438/.471/.875 there. "I didn't even think I'd be on this team. And here I am covered in champagne. Just amazing," he said.
Although team owners could not be reached for comment, it is safe to say that this team's long wait has made winning just a little sweeter. There's something that makes this win just a little more rewarding, though. Every team that ever beat the Classmates in the postseasons of past, lost to them in this one. Helena, New York (NL), and Nashville had all given San Jose the early exit before. This time, it was San Jose all the way.
It was a dream five years in the making. Ever since losing to the Mets in the S4 NLCS, San Jose GM marsrover has strived to make it over the hump and into the World Series. "It feels like it took so long," he said. "After the back-to-back losses in Ss 4&5 to the Mets in the NLCS, we thought we'd never get over the hump. Then the sweep to Helena in S6 and we just about lost hope. But this. This is beyound our wildest dreams!"
The Classmates looked close in S7 with the addition of rookie sensation Bart Martin and a genuine power-hitting first-baseman in Ismael Ordonez. That year the team saw franchise records in steals, home-runs, OPS, team steals, team RBIs, and team runs. But it wasn't enough. The Classmates met up with old friend Ariel Moraga in the first round. The S4 Int'l signing beat the Classmates twice in a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Atlases in the NLCS.
Then, this year, the Classmates lost two veteran presences to free agency. 33 year-old Jaime Decker was 3rd on the team's career wins list and signed with the Ballsmackers for a big payday. Prennially underrated LF'er J.D. Lockwood was 3rd on the team's career home run list and first on the career steals list. He signed a sweetheart two-year deal with the SJ Diablos.
The team seemed to fall from within as soon as the season started and was 8 games back in the division as late as June 5th. But then, something happened. The team made a crazy trade for overpriced Japanese righty Hong-Jin Miyakazi. "When mars pulled the trigger on that deal, it really showed us he was committed to winning this year," team spokesman Tanyon Walls said. "There was alot of talk about a firesale and everyone got worried. But Hong-Jin never gave up and everyday he went out there, we knew we could win.
Hong-Jin's confidence seemed to spread through the team like a wildfire. Newly acquired Al Izturis started to crush the ball (finishing with a franchise-tying 51 homeruns). Bart Martin started to run, and hit (last year's ROY turned in his second straight season with at least 30 homeruns, 50 steals, 120 runs, and 100 RBIs), the bullpen started to hold and save games. When glass-arm pitcher Einar Lee went down again with a season-ending injury, rookie David Shin came up and pitched his pants off.
"From top-to-bottom, we just started to play like a team," first baseman Ismael Ordonez said. "It was hard losing those two guys [Decker and Lockwood], and we all took it pretty hard at the start of the season. Then there was the talk of trading away Bart. We just didn't think management was committed to us. But then we started winning, and the season was going, and we said, 'hey, we're in first place here.'"
Hong-Jin took home the series trophy for Most Valuable Player. But it really could have gone to anyone. Al Izturis crushed the ball all post-season and finished with 8 total. Bart Martin more than made up for his futility in last year's postseason by turning in .348/.436/.636 with 19 RBIs and 6 steals. Ordonez found his swing, and Michael Chong cemented his reputation as a premiere postseason player.
The real suprise of the posteason though, may have been Al Timlin's sweet swing. The 25 y/o Rule 5'er only logged 100 regular season at bats and was a suprise addition to the postseason roster. But this postseason neophyte CRUSHED the ball in New York, hitting .438/.471/.875 there. "I didn't even think I'd be on this team. And here I am covered in champagne. Just amazing," he said.
Although team owners could not be reached for comment, it is safe to say that this team's long wait has made winning just a little sweeter. There's something that makes this win just a little more rewarding, though. Every team that ever beat the Classmates in the postseasons of past, lost to them in this one. Helena, New York (NL), and Nashville had all given San Jose the early exit before. This time, it was San Jose all the way.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Welcome and Welcome Back
30 owners return for Season 8, and we welcome two (three, really) into the fold. Welcome back to the H.J. vets, and welcome to domiisgod and kingcryptic (the two-headed monster of Jack and zubs). We also lured leppy into permanent residence, after taking on babysitting duties last season. With the efficient way a poor situation was dealt with last season and the addition of our new owners, all signs point toward Happy Jack becoming an "elite" HBD World, and sooner rather than later.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
SLC Hammers - Trading Block
Here's a summary of players on the Salt Lake City Hammers trading block. No stupid contracts. Nobody who does not belong in the ML.
Some of them have team options or are up for arbitration. You'll have to move fast on those, as I won't be waiting around for the best possible offer.
Ages are Season 8. "Last Season" is 7.
John Scarsone - SS - 31 - 1 yr @ $4M. Top SS 3 Range Factor. Top 10 Fld%. 16-63-.291-.461 w/ 12 SB. Fielding range & hitting ratings improved last season. If you're looking for a SS to hold down the fort for a few seasons so you don't have to rush your SS Of The Future to the ML, here's your guy. Will consider tossing in some $$ for this year's salary.
Taylor Fisher - DH/C - 33 - 1 yr @ 4.2M - Crushes LHP (hit cleanup for the 1st place Hammers). OK vs. RHP. You don't want him behind the plate much, if at all. DH or big bat of the bench. Not looking for much. Will consider helping with salary.
Norman Lombard - C - 28 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.4M arb - 5 yr / $20M long term - If you're looking for a no-hit, defensive stud, this is not your guy. Ave behind the plate. 4th in the ML in Caught Stealings in Season 7. Middle of the pack Caught Stealing %. High durability & health, so he plays every day. 85 makeup, so there's no reason he won't still improve some. Expect low 20s HR, .290 Ave, .480 SLG..
Pedro Manual - CF - 28 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.6M arb - 4 yr / $19.2 M long term - Over 80 Range and Glove. Hits .300. Steals some bases. If you think you need an all-star at every position to win, he's not your guy. If you need a leadoff hitter who can run and field, he might be.
Harry Banks - 1B - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $895K arb - 2 yr / $4.4 M long term - Averaged 20+ HR & .300 BA over the past 2 season. Was stuck on a messed up team for 4 years, so his development has been slower than it seems like it should have been. Still young. Got his health. And I'm obviously not going to be asking for a whole lot in return.
Anthony Borbon - 2B,3B,OF - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.4M arb - 4 yr / $19.2M long term - This might be the best young player you have any shot at trading for this season. He ain't gunna be cheap, but he can be had.
Butch Brooks - 3B/COF - 31 - $456K - Arb elig. next season - Solid hitter vs LHP. with great power. If I don't trade him, he'll start every game vs LHP for the Hammers.
Rafael Santos - RF/3B/LF/1B - 30 - Signed for 3 years - $7M, $6M, $5M (mutual option). One of HJ's premier sluggers. Good for 40-60 HRs a season. Rifle arm in RF. I'm not really looking to trade him, but I'll consider offers.
Milton Cunningham - SP - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.8M arb - 4 yr / $26M long term - Here's your chance to stay out of the FA bidding frenzy and pick up a solid SP. Had a rocky Season 7. Looking for a change of scenery.
Dan Brumfield - SP - 25 - $378K - RHPs who don't keep the ball on the ground have a hard time in SLC. Used as a spot starter on the road last season and was good. Not OK. Good. Almost all his bad outings were in the short RF of SLC. He's young, he's cheap, and he's improving. I'm not going to give him away, but if he can start every 5 games at home for you, he's worth more to you than he is to me.
Vince Borland - RP - 26 - $340K - Got to be able to setup, if not close, on any team. I've got one young RP to deal. He's the best of the lot who are not untouchable. Which means there are other's I'd trade, too.
Jeff Berry - RP - 26 - $378K - Former Rule 5 guys. Not well developed his first 4 seasons. High potential. Still improving. The kind of arm it's good to have in that 9-10 spot when a pitcher goes does midseason.
Some of them have team options or are up for arbitration. You'll have to move fast on those, as I won't be waiting around for the best possible offer.
Ages are Season 8. "Last Season" is 7.
John Scarsone - SS - 31 - 1 yr @ $4M. Top SS 3 Range Factor. Top 10 Fld%. 16-63-.291-.461 w/ 12 SB. Fielding range & hitting ratings improved last season. If you're looking for a SS to hold down the fort for a few seasons so you don't have to rush your SS Of The Future to the ML, here's your guy. Will consider tossing in some $$ for this year's salary.
Taylor Fisher - DH/C - 33 - 1 yr @ 4.2M - Crushes LHP (hit cleanup for the 1st place Hammers). OK vs. RHP. You don't want him behind the plate much, if at all. DH or big bat of the bench. Not looking for much. Will consider helping with salary.
Norman Lombard - C - 28 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.4M arb - 5 yr / $20M long term - If you're looking for a no-hit, defensive stud, this is not your guy. Ave behind the plate. 4th in the ML in Caught Stealings in Season 7. Middle of the pack Caught Stealing %. High durability & health, so he plays every day. 85 makeup, so there's no reason he won't still improve some. Expect low 20s HR, .290 Ave, .480 SLG..
Pedro Manual - CF - 28 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.6M arb - 4 yr / $19.2 M long term - Over 80 Range and Glove. Hits .300. Steals some bases. If you think you need an all-star at every position to win, he's not your guy. If you need a leadoff hitter who can run and field, he might be.
Harry Banks - 1B - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $895K arb - 2 yr / $4.4 M long term - Averaged 20+ HR & .300 BA over the past 2 season. Was stuck on a messed up team for 4 years, so his development has been slower than it seems like it should have been. Still young. Got his health. And I'm obviously not going to be asking for a whole lot in return.
Anthony Borbon - 2B,3B,OF - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.4M arb - 4 yr / $19.2M long term - This might be the best young player you have any shot at trading for this season. He ain't gunna be cheap, but he can be had.
Butch Brooks - 3B/COF - 31 - $456K - Arb elig. next season - Solid hitter vs LHP. with great power. If I don't trade him, he'll start every game vs LHP for the Hammers.
Rafael Santos - RF/3B/LF/1B - 30 - Signed for 3 years - $7M, $6M, $5M (mutual option). One of HJ's premier sluggers. Good for 40-60 HRs a season. Rifle arm in RF. I'm not really looking to trade him, but I'll consider offers.
Milton Cunningham - SP - 26 - Yr 1 Arb - $1.8M arb - 4 yr / $26M long term - Here's your chance to stay out of the FA bidding frenzy and pick up a solid SP. Had a rocky Season 7. Looking for a change of scenery.
Dan Brumfield - SP - 25 - $378K - RHPs who don't keep the ball on the ground have a hard time in SLC. Used as a spot starter on the road last season and was good. Not OK. Good. Almost all his bad outings were in the short RF of SLC. He's young, he's cheap, and he's improving. I'm not going to give him away, but if he can start every 5 games at home for you, he's worth more to you than he is to me.
Vince Borland - RP - 26 - $340K - Got to be able to setup, if not close, on any team. I've got one young RP to deal. He's the best of the lot who are not untouchable. Which means there are other's I'd trade, too.
Jeff Berry - RP - 26 - $378K - Former Rule 5 guys. Not well developed his first 4 seasons. High potential. Still improving. The kind of arm it's good to have in that 9-10 spot when a pitcher goes does midseason.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Classmates Season in Review
At the end of the 7th season of the Santa Clara Classmates under the helm of Marsrover21, let us examine how well (or poorly) the team faired.
* For the fourth time in as many seasons, the Classmates are going to the playoffs. Despite having the second best record in franchise history, the Classmates will again have to play in the first round. Hopefully, this year's team will fair better than last season's early round exit. And with a healthy Tanyon Walls, there is no reason to think they can't get past the first round.
* Rookie sensation Bart Martin was as good as advertised, and currently sits as the favorite for ROY voting. Martin put up fantastic numbers in his first full season, going .295/.361/.557 with 32 dingers, 46 doubles, 62^ stolen bases (vs. just 11 CS) and 102 RBIs. He is also an MVP candidate, and a Silver Slugger at third base.
* Another player making his ML full-season debut was Al Reid. Although he did not show up with as much fanfare as Martin, Reid was for the bullpen what Martin is for the offense. Indeed, Reid currently shows as second in ROY contention. As solid a closer as is in the league, Reid finished the year with 84.1 innings pitched, 32 saves (vs. 37 opportunities), 1.17 WHIP, 3.20 ERA, and 78 Ks. A big closer is what this team was looking for last year, and so far Reid has been a big upgrade.
* Tanyon Walls was again fantastic. After a down first season with the Classmates, Walls has run off three-straight .300 AVG seasons with an OPS of at least .950. Walls (along with Martin) was one of two players on the team to join the 30/30 club this season going 36/31. His fielding pct. improved for the second straight season to a very respectable .989. Although he will never win an MVP in the pitcher's friendly Municipal Stadium, Walls is again in contention for the award. And why not? Afterall, no other SS in the league will give you .300/30/30 and a .989 fielding pct.
* Ismael Ordonez was probably the most pleasant surprise on the team. Acquired at the beginning of the year from the Tacoma Lynx, Ordonez set career highs in HRs (51^), RBIs (149^), BBs (54), and OPS (.971^). Ordonez was worth it, and then some. However, with a career low 19 2Bs, look for some of those HRs to turn into two-baggers next season. Let's just hope they stay HRs throughout the playoffs.
* Defense. Led by two-time Gold-Glover Alfonso Pujols, the Classmates were second in fielding percentage (.991), and led the league in + plays by a wide margin (52). Pujols led the league with 28.
* Speed. The Classmates were second in league stolen bases behind the Rainers (the departing deanroy team had an amazing 494, while the Classmates had a much more humbling 238). The Classmates had a very respectable .758 steal percentage.
* Other role-players. Brian Torres, Hipolito Ferrer, and Felipe Rodriguez all played vital roles coming down the stretch playing only part-time. These players will again have to come up big in the playoffs for the Classmates to advance.
This was probably the best all-around team the Classmates have ever had throughout a full regular season. Although injuries to starting pitchers Randall Griffin and Einar Lee threatened to derail the season early, luckily the Classmates found some depth and were buoyed by great seasons from veteran pitchers Endy Messmer and Jaime Decker. Although neither has pitched particularly well in the playoffs before, the 'Mates are counting on them to push us into our first World Series. It is certain that this team can hit (for the first time in a long while). Now we are looking for them to win four straight series.
NOTE: "^" Denotes a franchise record.
* For the fourth time in as many seasons, the Classmates are going to the playoffs. Despite having the second best record in franchise history, the Classmates will again have to play in the first round. Hopefully, this year's team will fair better than last season's early round exit. And with a healthy Tanyon Walls, there is no reason to think they can't get past the first round.
* Rookie sensation Bart Martin was as good as advertised, and currently sits as the favorite for ROY voting. Martin put up fantastic numbers in his first full season, going .295/.361/.557 with 32 dingers, 46 doubles, 62^ stolen bases (vs. just 11 CS) and 102 RBIs. He is also an MVP candidate, and a Silver Slugger at third base.
* Another player making his ML full-season debut was Al Reid. Although he did not show up with as much fanfare as Martin, Reid was for the bullpen what Martin is for the offense. Indeed, Reid currently shows as second in ROY contention. As solid a closer as is in the league, Reid finished the year with 84.1 innings pitched, 32 saves (vs. 37 opportunities), 1.17 WHIP, 3.20 ERA, and 78 Ks. A big closer is what this team was looking for last year, and so far Reid has been a big upgrade.
* Tanyon Walls was again fantastic. After a down first season with the Classmates, Walls has run off three-straight .300 AVG seasons with an OPS of at least .950. Walls (along with Martin) was one of two players on the team to join the 30/30 club this season going 36/31. His fielding pct. improved for the second straight season to a very respectable .989. Although he will never win an MVP in the pitcher's friendly Municipal Stadium, Walls is again in contention for the award. And why not? Afterall, no other SS in the league will give you .300/30/30 and a .989 fielding pct.
* Ismael Ordonez was probably the most pleasant surprise on the team. Acquired at the beginning of the year from the Tacoma Lynx, Ordonez set career highs in HRs (51^), RBIs (149^), BBs (54), and OPS (.971^). Ordonez was worth it, and then some. However, with a career low 19 2Bs, look for some of those HRs to turn into two-baggers next season. Let's just hope they stay HRs throughout the playoffs.
* Defense. Led by two-time Gold-Glover Alfonso Pujols, the Classmates were second in fielding percentage (.991), and led the league in + plays by a wide margin (52). Pujols led the league with 28.
* Speed. The Classmates were second in league stolen bases behind the Rainers (the departing deanroy team had an amazing 494, while the Classmates had a much more humbling 238). The Classmates had a very respectable .758 steal percentage.
* Other role-players. Brian Torres, Hipolito Ferrer, and Felipe Rodriguez all played vital roles coming down the stretch playing only part-time. These players will again have to come up big in the playoffs for the Classmates to advance.
This was probably the best all-around team the Classmates have ever had throughout a full regular season. Although injuries to starting pitchers Randall Griffin and Einar Lee threatened to derail the season early, luckily the Classmates found some depth and were buoyed by great seasons from veteran pitchers Endy Messmer and Jaime Decker. Although neither has pitched particularly well in the playoffs before, the 'Mates are counting on them to push us into our first World Series. It is certain that this team can hit (for the first time in a long while). Now we are looking for them to win four straight series.
NOTE: "^" Denotes a franchise record.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
He's Done It!
In a feat that will surely go down as one of the worst accomplishments in history, famed not-so-great player Nick Morton has finally done it. In Wednesday's AM game, the kid nobody believed in lost to the lowly Ice Nuts in grand fashion. Giving up 8 runs in just three innings of work, Morton asserted himself as one of the unluckiest pitchers in the history of his franchise. It's only fitting that his historic achievement would come while getting mitchslapped.
Now all Morton has to do is hold onto his winless streak to enter the record books. Should his current record stand, Nick Morton will be the first player ever in Happy Jack history to go 0-20 on the season.
Only 25 years old, it seems all Morton can do now is get better. However, no matter what his future achievements, two numbers will remain: 0-20. The Slut will most likely pitch his last game vs. the Las Vegas franchise in the AM, or PM. Like the Giants, should the Pit Boss lose to this now-infamous pitcher, the club shall go down in history as a record-breaking franchise. We should all be on our seats.
Now all Morton has to do is hold onto his winless streak to enter the record books. Should his current record stand, Nick Morton will be the first player ever in Happy Jack history to go 0-20 on the season.
Only 25 years old, it seems all Morton can do now is get better. However, no matter what his future achievements, two numbers will remain: 0-20. The Slut will most likely pitch his last game vs. the Las Vegas franchise in the AM, or PM. Like the Giants, should the Pit Boss lose to this now-infamous pitcher, the club shall go down in history as a record-breaking franchise. We should all be on our seats.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Race to Mediocrity Update: Morton Two Away
Perennial loser Nick Morton continues his historic streak into history. In this morning's game, Slut Morton put up his worst line of the season going 1.2 innings, giving up 8 runs on 9 hits while throwing 43 pitches. This historically semi-adequate pitcher is now only two losses away from the famed 0-20 record. At this point, ESPN has assigned two reporters to follow every Morton start from here on out. Should Morton accomplish the feat, it is believed he will be the first ever to be so daring as to try for such an honor.
One thing is clear at this point, and it is that Morton is not in danger of losing his job and will most likely get the chance to pitch for the record. Slut owner (who would only give his initials for this interview) nws has intimated that he will continue to go to Morton despite his apparent inadequacies. Mr. Morton, the Nation is watching you, make us proud.
One thing is clear at this point, and it is that Morton is not in danger of losing his job and will most likely get the chance to pitch for the record. Slut owner (who would only give his initials for this interview) nws has intimated that he will continue to go to Morton despite his apparent inadequacies. Mr. Morton, the Nation is watching you, make us proud.
Vegas gets 77th win!!
And sets franchise record. With the young team and more talent on the way, we should contend for many seasons.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Race to Mediocrity: Update!
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
AP - (Cleveland) Update: Famous not-so-great pitcher Nick Morton has done it again! Despite pitching a brilliant game, this 25 year-old has just missed his (possibly only) shot at a win. I today's PM2 game, Morton pitched a brilliant eight innings of eight-hit ball. But despite his eight innings of brilliance, this famously hard-luck pitcher still could not find a win. Giving away in the ninth to an otherwise fantastic Antonio Ramirez, all Morton could do was watch the game slip away.... For Ramirez - former Classmate - gave away the games winning run.
Morton's record stands at an amazing 0-17. Should he lose the rest of his games, he will be the first Happy Jack pitcher to go oh-for-20+ in a season. This reporter, thinks he can do it.
AP - (Cleveland) Update: Famous not-so-great pitcher Nick Morton has done it again! Despite pitching a brilliant game, this 25 year-old has just missed his (possibly only) shot at a win. I today's PM2 game, Morton pitched a brilliant eight innings of eight-hit ball. But despite his eight innings of brilliance, this famously hard-luck pitcher still could not find a win. Giving away in the ninth to an otherwise fantastic Antonio Ramirez, all Morton could do was watch the game slip away.... For Ramirez - former Classmate - gave away the games winning run.
Morton's record stands at an amazing 0-17. Should he lose the rest of his games, he will be the first Happy Jack pitcher to go oh-for-20+ in a season. This reporter, thinks he can do it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Race to Mediocrity Update
Rough day for barely-adequate pitcher Nick Morton. The 25 year-old from Gilcrest, Colorado pitched against the Pittsburgh Steelheads and could not get out of the third inning. Morton gave up seven runs on six hits throwing 62 pitches. The Slut can hold his head high, though, as his opponent for this match - Torey French - had an equally horrid day, leading the way to an eventual Sluts win.
Morton's next stop on his quest for infamy will most likely be on 3/29 in the PM. Until then, we wish him godspeed.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Race to Mediocrity Update
Hard-luck pitcher Nick Morton has done it again. Morton pitched 5 2/3 innings against Wichita yesterday, and was actually pitching quite well (for him). That was until the sixth inning when Morton allowed a single, a SB 2B and the dreaded SB 3B. After the following HR, Morton's night was over. When the inning began, Morton had a 4-3 lead. By the end of the inning, the Sluts were losing 6-4.
Morton's record now stands at a deplorable 0-17. It is believed that this mediocre pitcher could be the first ever Happy Jack ML'er to go 0-for the season with at least 200 innings pitched. The once-thought-of-as-impossible 0-20 is within reach. Should Morton accomplish such a feat, his name will surely be recognized in Happy Jack for years to come. Look for the Chris Berman special later this year.
Morton's record now stands at a deplorable 0-17. It is believed that this mediocre pitcher could be the first ever Happy Jack ML'er to go 0-for the season with at least 200 innings pitched. The once-thought-of-as-impossible 0-20 is within reach. Should Morton accomplish such a feat, his name will surely be recognized in Happy Jack for years to come. Look for the Chris Berman special later this year.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy Jack Major League Leaders S7
Snapshot from around the World with 112 games played. This post will category leaders in major stats on a world-wide basis.
HR Leader: with 45. He Bang, he Bang!
RBI Leader: with 119.
AVG Leader: with .367.
SB Leader: with an amazing 73.
Runs Leader: with 113.
Wins Leader: Macho with 18.
Save Leader: at 35.
K Leader: Four-time Cy Young winner at 225 (next closest is 156. He's still got it).
ERA Leader: with 1.79 (with Valdes knocking at the door).
WHIP Leader: Presumptive S7 Cy winner . In fact, until he retires, pencil this 36 year-old in for the Cy Young.
HR Leader: with 45. He Bang, he Bang!
RBI Leader: with 119.
AVG Leader: with .367.
SB Leader: with an amazing 73.
Runs Leader: with 113.
Wins Leader: Macho with 18.
Save Leader: at 35.
K Leader: Four-time Cy Young winner at 225 (next closest is 156. He's still got it).
ERA Leader: with 1.79 (with Valdes knocking at the door).
WHIP Leader: Presumptive S7 Cy winner . In fact, until he retires, pencil this 36 year-old in for the Cy Young.
Race to Mediocrity Update
In today's PM game, not-terrible pitcher Nick Morton kept his ignominious streak alive. The third year Slut pitched six innings giving up 12 hits and six runs for the no-decision. Morton actually pitched "well enough" to leave the game with the lead. However, the Inbred Jeds managed to come back, robbing Morton of his first victory of the season. It appears Morton will have to wait at least one more start before improving on his 0-16 record.
Vegas Review Updated!!
We're young and we're ready. The rebuild has been slower than anticipated but we've stockpiled a bunch of young talent that is ready to burst onto the scene. We expect to contend for the division and hopefully do some damage in the NL playoffs.
Result: We're currently tied for the WC spots with two other teams at 61-50. One of us will be disappointed.
Catcher - Signed Mark Lee in the off-season. He's just keeping the seat warm for Charles Blankenship who'll start the season in AAA. Lee is a capable player so, if he's up to par, we bought Blankenship one more year in the minors. Vic Ortiz returns as a defensive catcher who'll spot Lee vs. the occassional lefty.
Result-Lee wasn't getting it done so he was dealt and Blankenship got the call. After a slow start, Charles is hitting .256/.341/.487 in 78 AB.
Firstbaseman - Steve Corino's career as a catcher has come to an end. His pitch calling never developed but he can still rake so he'll play 1B until Michael Evans is promoted. Evans is better right now but he can use some more minor league seasoning. Corino hit .319 and slugged .586 last season.
Result-In 288 AB, Steve has put up the following: .281/.357/.510. Despite that, we made a trade for David Stankiewicz(.313/.395/.535 in 217 AB). Steve was just sent to AAA to make temporary ML roster room. He'll be back shortly but if anyone should file a complaint over shoddy treatment, it's Steve.
Secondbaseman - Ol' Vic Seguignol made the transistion from CF to 2B last season. Vic can still play despite being our 2nd oldest position player(that belongs to Lee now) at 32. Vic hit .290 last year. Lenny Swann is chomping at the bit in AAA and will get the call sometime this season.
Result-Vic was traded yesterday. Lenny and Geoff Young have been splitting time at 2B. In 287 AB, Lenny has 28 SB but is only hitting .247 on the year.
Thirdbaseman - We'll probably go with a platoon between Luis Diaz and Brent Waters to start the season. Both can hit and have power but neither has much of an eye. Luis stroked 25 homers with a .272 BA in 523 AB last season. Brent slugged .564 in 259 AB. Someone will win the spot and the other will fill in at the infield/outfield corners.
Result-Both are performing adequately. Brent has 28 homers in 310 AB while Luis is hitting .267/.336/.440 in 266 AB. Both have also seen action in the COF spots.
Shortstop - Davey McKnight will start the season at SS. He won the GG in season 5 but fell off ever so slightly last year. Only 27, he's expected to rebound. Unfortunately, Davey should take a boat oar to the plate because he can't hit. His numbers from last year: .244/.298/.298. He'll be with the team for quite awhile but Brad O'Toole and Geoff Young are coming. May be this season. May be next. But they're on the way.
Result-Geoff got the call. Davey has hit surprisingly well vs. lefties(.291/.362/.403) and remains the starter when a southpaw is on the mound. Geoff starts vs. righties and gets time at 2B/3B. He's hitting .292 and getting on at a .366 rate.
Leftfield - A bit of a problem spot. Wayne Ramsey, Kenny Ripken and Matty Starr form some sort of a three-headed monster out there. Unfortunately, it's the type of monster that scares no one. They're adequate but LF should be better. That's why Diaz, Waters or O'Toole(until he gets his SS ratings) might see plenty of time in left.
Result-Obviously we weren't comfortable with this situation. So we traded for Blade Harris. After a slow start, he's hitting .280/.349/.551 with 24 homers in 336 AB.
Centerfield - Braden Burks is solid in center. He hit 22 homers and stole 26 bases last season. Only 24, we expect him to develop into a 30/30 man.
Result-Braden is playing exactly as expected. He's hitting .299 with 21 homers/28 SB in 395 AB.
Rightfield - Eugene Sinclair was signed to a one year deal as a FA. Only 24 and with 37 BL AB, Eugene has a ton of potential. On our current big league roster, he has the best eye and the 2nd most power(behind Waters). He's the big bat we need until Blankenship, O'Toole and Evans get the call.
Result-Another position that played out as expected. Geno is hitting .271/.340.518 with 25 homers in 240 AB.
Starting pitchers - Looks like we'll have to utilize 6 SP this year. Bonk Daniels will anchor the rotation. 27 and just acquired via trade, we're expecting big things from him. The next group, Alberto Alonso, Dusty Bates, Sean Cooper and Robb Morton, are aged 24-27 so we've got a young group. Bates is the only lefty so we're a little unbalanced. Andrew Worrell, 37, was brought back to finish up the rotation. He's pitched well and has shown no significant decline. However, his low stamina, along with Alonso's, pretty much force us into a 6 man rotation. Daniel Santangelo would be #2 in our rotation but we've decided he needs a few more innings in the minors. He should be in the bigs before the A/S break.
Result-Daniels has been the ace. 144 IP with a 3.74 ERA. Cooper leads the team with 10 wins despite his 4.76 ERA in 132 IP. Worrell has been a pleasant surprise with a 1.21 WHIP/4.12 ERA in 98 innings. Bates has been a fine #2 with a 3.83 ERA in 108 IP. Our #5 has been troublesome with Morton, Alonso and Octavio Benitez all getting starts. Benitez has been the latest to get a shot and he's done the best with a 4.41 ERA in 49 innings. Alonso and Morton have 5+ ERA.
Long relief - We have a ton of candidates and this is not yet set. Octavio Benitez, Sammy Keeler, Joe Flores, Dicky Dickey, D.T.Sullivan, John Oliver, Alex Saez and Tony Rodriguez all have big league experience(and contracts). All seem to have a fatal flaw that keeps them out of the rotation but they are good enough to spot start or relieve.
Result-A mess. I don't want to talk about it. Bah.
Short relief - There are 3 minor leaguers who are ready(Bret Kile, Cyrus Mullens and Keith Watson) but I'm not ready for them. We're going with a little more experience and have brought back Frank Leary(30), Mike Kirk(33), Jack Ulrich(29) and Brian Hong(37) this year. Kirk will close while the other three split set-up duties. It would not be surprising if all 4 were job hunting next year.
Result-Leary became the closer and has done a fine job with 30 saves in 32 opportunities. Opponents are hitting .185 against him and his WHIP is south of 1. Kirk and Ulrich have been adequate as set-up men while Hong was dealt. We recently added Eli Estrada and Jeff Service to the mix via trade. Both have done well in limited appearances.
Result: We're currently tied for the WC spots with two other teams at 61-50. One of us will be disappointed.
Catcher - Signed Mark Lee in the off-season. He's just keeping the seat warm for Charles Blankenship who'll start the season in AAA. Lee is a capable player so, if he's up to par, we bought Blankenship one more year in the minors. Vic Ortiz returns as a defensive catcher who'll spot Lee vs. the occassional lefty.
Result-Lee wasn't getting it done so he was dealt and Blankenship got the call. After a slow start, Charles is hitting .256/.341/.487 in 78 AB.
Firstbaseman - Steve Corino's career as a catcher has come to an end. His pitch calling never developed but he can still rake so he'll play 1B until Michael Evans is promoted. Evans is better right now but he can use some more minor league seasoning. Corino hit .319 and slugged .586 last season.
Result-In 288 AB, Steve has put up the following: .281/.357/.510. Despite that, we made a trade for David Stankiewicz(.313/.395/.535 in 217 AB). Steve was just sent to AAA to make temporary ML roster room. He'll be back shortly but if anyone should file a complaint over shoddy treatment, it's Steve.
Secondbaseman - Ol' Vic Seguignol made the transistion from CF to 2B last season. Vic can still play despite being our 2nd oldest position player(that belongs to Lee now) at 32. Vic hit .290 last year. Lenny Swann is chomping at the bit in AAA and will get the call sometime this season.
Result-Vic was traded yesterday. Lenny and Geoff Young have been splitting time at 2B. In 287 AB, Lenny has 28 SB but is only hitting .247 on the year.
Thirdbaseman - We'll probably go with a platoon between Luis Diaz and Brent Waters to start the season. Both can hit and have power but neither has much of an eye. Luis stroked 25 homers with a .272 BA in 523 AB last season. Brent slugged .564 in 259 AB. Someone will win the spot and the other will fill in at the infield/outfield corners.
Result-Both are performing adequately. Brent has 28 homers in 310 AB while Luis is hitting .267/.336/.440 in 266 AB. Both have also seen action in the COF spots.
Shortstop - Davey McKnight will start the season at SS. He won the GG in season 5 but fell off ever so slightly last year. Only 27, he's expected to rebound. Unfortunately, Davey should take a boat oar to the plate because he can't hit. His numbers from last year: .244/.298/.298. He'll be with the team for quite awhile but Brad O'Toole and Geoff Young are coming. May be this season. May be next. But they're on the way.
Result-Geoff got the call. Davey has hit surprisingly well vs. lefties(.291/.362/.403) and remains the starter when a southpaw is on the mound. Geoff starts vs. righties and gets time at 2B/3B. He's hitting .292 and getting on at a .366 rate.
Leftfield - A bit of a problem spot. Wayne Ramsey, Kenny Ripken and Matty Starr form some sort of a three-headed monster out there. Unfortunately, it's the type of monster that scares no one. They're adequate but LF should be better. That's why Diaz, Waters or O'Toole(until he gets his SS ratings) might see plenty of time in left.
Result-Obviously we weren't comfortable with this situation. So we traded for Blade Harris. After a slow start, he's hitting .280/.349/.551 with 24 homers in 336 AB.
Centerfield - Braden Burks is solid in center. He hit 22 homers and stole 26 bases last season. Only 24, we expect him to develop into a 30/30 man.
Result-Braden is playing exactly as expected. He's hitting .299 with 21 homers/28 SB in 395 AB.
Rightfield - Eugene Sinclair was signed to a one year deal as a FA. Only 24 and with 37 BL AB, Eugene has a ton of potential. On our current big league roster, he has the best eye and the 2nd most power(behind Waters). He's the big bat we need until Blankenship, O'Toole and Evans get the call.
Result-Another position that played out as expected. Geno is hitting .271/.340.518 with 25 homers in 240 AB.
Starting pitchers - Looks like we'll have to utilize 6 SP this year. Bonk Daniels will anchor the rotation. 27 and just acquired via trade, we're expecting big things from him. The next group, Alberto Alonso, Dusty Bates, Sean Cooper and Robb Morton, are aged 24-27 so we've got a young group. Bates is the only lefty so we're a little unbalanced. Andrew Worrell, 37, was brought back to finish up the rotation. He's pitched well and has shown no significant decline. However, his low stamina, along with Alonso's, pretty much force us into a 6 man rotation. Daniel Santangelo would be #2 in our rotation but we've decided he needs a few more innings in the minors. He should be in the bigs before the A/S break.
Result-Daniels has been the ace. 144 IP with a 3.74 ERA. Cooper leads the team with 10 wins despite his 4.76 ERA in 132 IP. Worrell has been a pleasant surprise with a 1.21 WHIP/4.12 ERA in 98 innings. Bates has been a fine #2 with a 3.83 ERA in 108 IP. Our #5 has been troublesome with Morton, Alonso and Octavio Benitez all getting starts. Benitez has been the latest to get a shot and he's done the best with a 4.41 ERA in 49 innings. Alonso and Morton have 5+ ERA.
Long relief - We have a ton of candidates and this is not yet set. Octavio Benitez, Sammy Keeler, Joe Flores, Dicky Dickey, D.T.Sullivan, John Oliver, Alex Saez and Tony Rodriguez all have big league experience(and contracts). All seem to have a fatal flaw that keeps them out of the rotation but they are good enough to spot start or relieve.
Result-A mess. I don't want to talk about it. Bah.
Short relief - There are 3 minor leaguers who are ready(Bret Kile, Cyrus Mullens and Keith Watson) but I'm not ready for them. We're going with a little more experience and have brought back Frank Leary(30), Mike Kirk(33), Jack Ulrich(29) and Brian Hong(37) this year. Kirk will close while the other three split set-up duties. It would not be surprising if all 4 were job hunting next year.
Result-Leary became the closer and has done a fine job with 30 saves in 32 opportunities. Opponents are hitting .185 against him and his WHIP is south of 1. Kirk and Ulrich have been adequate as set-up men while Hong was dealt. We recently added Eli Estrada and Jeff Service to the mix via trade. Both have done well in limited appearances.
Race to Mediocrity
Not so bad player
continues his historic streak. Slut Nick Morton is a major league pitcher in his third full season. The 25 year-old lefty has amassed a big league record of 19-43 in that time. 16 of those losses have come from this season. Amazingly, Morton does not yet have a single win this season.
In his last start, Morton pitched 7 2/3 inning giving up three hits and two runs. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough for the hard-luck pitcher to earn a win.
In his next start, Morton will once again try to avoid another "L." However, should the pitcher finish the season without a single win, it is believed he will be the first major league pitcher to start at least 20 games and never gain a "W." This reporter will be rooting for Morton to avoid his place in ignominy.
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In his last start, Morton pitched 7 2/3 inning giving up three hits and two runs. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough for the hard-luck pitcher to earn a win.
In his next start, Morton will once again try to avoid another "L." However, should the pitcher finish the season without a single win, it is believed he will be the first major league pitcher to start at least 20 games and never gain a "W." This reporter will be rooting for Morton to avoid his place in ignominy.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Smarter Than a One-Nut Monkey?
Buffalo (AP) - After selling off every marketable piece on the inherited ML roster, many in the land of ice and wings wondered whether the Nickels had enough left to pass Mike's 55 win 'tarded-up-owner threshold. As of right now, the Buffalo Nickels are playing at a .445 clip - good for a projected 70-92 season (despite being in the midst of a four game losing streak). When asked how they managed this, G.M. examinerebb responded "blind-ass luck". We'll dig a little deeper.
Free Agency
In an effort to make the team at least somewhat competitive, the front office went after some free agents who slipped through the normal signing period. They struck gold with first baseman Davey Torres. All he's done through 110 games is hit .327 with 25 homers - in a pitcher's park. Center fielder Davey Reynoso has also been a solid contributor, though he has now been relegated to platoon duty (more to follow on that front). Pitchers Ray Bates and Jim Flores haven't been spectacular, but they've done just enough to keep the Buffalo squad in games.
Trades
Most of the Nickels' trading was done before the season started, but the market heated up for their corner outfielders as the season went on. In each trade, Buffalo acquired an ML-ready replacement as well as a prospect. New left fielder Kennie Ripken has contributed 18 homers, including a team-leading 4 of the walk-off variety. Right fielder Willis Wynn hasn't contributed much with the bat, but helped to upgrade the defense. Starting pitcher Toby Simpson was acquired in one of the aforementioned preseason trades, but was immediately placed on the ML roster. He has responded by posting the best numbers of any member of the big league rotation.
Promotions
The front office identified some youngsters who had stalled in their development a couple of cycles into the season, and decided to bring them up to the majors to contribute in a platoon without improvement there, rather than in the minors. 23 year old catcher Lonnie Magee has cooled off quite a bit since he got the call, but has provided decent pop and pitch calling. 24 year old third baseman Orlando Vidal has struggled mightily at the plate, but finally has his average over .200 while playing excellent defense at the hot corner. Finally, 23 year old center fielder Greg Trachsel has been an absolute beast. He has 14 homers in only 137 at bats, all while playing outstanding defense (no errors, 3 "+" plays, no "-" plays).
The role players seem to be doing their jobs, a couple of players have exceeded expectations, and no one is flat-out terrible. That appears to be the recipe for turning a 120 loss team into a 70 win team. And with all the young talent in the system, the future looks bright for the Nickels in the coming seasons.
Free Agency
In an effort to make the team at least somewhat competitive, the front office went after some free agents who slipped through the normal signing period. They struck gold with first baseman Davey Torres. All he's done through 110 games is hit .327 with 25 homers - in a pitcher's park. Center fielder Davey Reynoso has also been a solid contributor, though he has now been relegated to platoon duty (more to follow on that front). Pitchers Ray Bates and Jim Flores haven't been spectacular, but they've done just enough to keep the Buffalo squad in games.
Trades
Most of the Nickels' trading was done before the season started, but the market heated up for their corner outfielders as the season went on. In each trade, Buffalo acquired an ML-ready replacement as well as a prospect. New left fielder Kennie Ripken has contributed 18 homers, including a team-leading 4 of the walk-off variety. Right fielder Willis Wynn hasn't contributed much with the bat, but helped to upgrade the defense. Starting pitcher Toby Simpson was acquired in one of the aforementioned preseason trades, but was immediately placed on the ML roster. He has responded by posting the best numbers of any member of the big league rotation.
Promotions
The front office identified some youngsters who had stalled in their development a couple of cycles into the season, and decided to bring them up to the majors to contribute in a platoon without improvement there, rather than in the minors. 23 year old catcher Lonnie Magee has cooled off quite a bit since he got the call, but has provided decent pop and pitch calling. 24 year old third baseman Orlando Vidal has struggled mightily at the plate, but finally has his average over .200 while playing excellent defense at the hot corner. Finally, 23 year old center fielder Greg Trachsel has been an absolute beast. He has 14 homers in only 137 at bats, all while playing outstanding defense (no errors, 3 "+" plays, no "-" plays).
The role players seem to be doing their jobs, a couple of players have exceeded expectations, and no one is flat-out terrible. That appears to be the recipe for turning a 120 loss team into a 70 win team. And with all the young talent in the system, the future looks bright for the Nickels in the coming seasons.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
NL Wild Card Race
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Happy Jack NCAA Bracket Competition
http://hjhbd.mayhem.sportsline.com
Bracket Name: Happy Jack
Password: blackbeard
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Bracket Name: Happy Jack
Password: blackbeard
You'll have to create a CBS Sportsline account if you don't have one. It's free, and you can choose not to receive any ads when you sign up. Registered blog users have an invite waiting in their mail box.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Say Hello to Our Blog
The formatting is complete, the sidebar is chock full of info, and we have a couple of posts. Suggestions for additions are always welcome. Enjoy!
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